Flow regulator



Patented Nov. 3, 1953 Charles R. Huston, Chicago, Ill., lassig'nor to Cherry-Burrell Corporation, Wilmington, Del.,

a corporation Application October 29, 1949, Serial No. 124,385

'2 Claims. 1

This invention relat'es to improvemenfts in a new regulator for treating nuids while passine therethrough.

Valves of the general type to which .th-is :invehtion peritains, when used ifor certain purposes. su'eh, :for example, as homogenizing of liqui'ds or mixtnres, etc., are sometimes 'referre'd ;to -a's homoge'nizing valves. The same t'yzpe of valve may, howev'er, also he utilized under certain conditions to 'destabilize 'the phase relationship of the ingredients in a ifiuid being 'treated, such, :for 'example, :as 'the zd'esta'hiflizzat'ion of the phase rela- 't'ionshlip of .an oil :fin water emulsion, wherein the oil oontent 'is relatively high.

Devices of 'the 'type 'which include the so-called single service homogenizing or liquid treating elements ;have -a rcommon defect. In 'most -such devices, means are .not provided 'for accurately position'ing fafnd supporihg the homogenizing v.element during the .perio'd v'of :assemb'ly 'or during the period of adiustment of the device. ;'Slight misadziustment orimisali'gnment of these elements may-seriously 'aifect the 'effic'iency of :subsequent operation.

The primary purpose :of the :present 'nvention therefore, :is to provide a relatively simple, samtary, processing type valve, in which lthe fluid flow obstructing and flow disturbing element or elements 'may `easi-'ly be .installed and supported in a readily detachable manner on the 'eomplementary faces vof the valve head fand valve fseat; inwhich the 'detachable fiuidlow :obstructm'g and fiow disturbing elements *are of simple .design and are relatively .'inexpensv'e to produce; and in which the detachable -fluid :flow obstructing and ;fiow Adisturbinig 'elements are 'properly ;positioned by a detention :and support element with respect to the :associated parts vof the valve.

Other objects and 'advantages of the invention may be .apparen-t upon careful consideration of the .following description of the pre-ferred embodiment of the invention, .selected Vfor -illustrat'ion. It will be understood, however, 'that various changes in form, construction, and arrangemen't `may be made by those 's'killed fin 'the `art without departing from the spirit o'r the sc'op'e of the inventi'on.

lIn the 'accompanying drawings lFigure '1 is fan el'evational view, partially broken away fsec'tio'n, of -'a 'device including two of 'the i-impnoved valves, constructed :according lt'o Ethislinvention.

.Figure 12 is fan eleva'tional view of :a perforated, h'ood-.like flui-d ;flow :obstructi-ng jand *lfi'ow 'di'stur-b- :mgelement :adapted 'for use in iflie 'limproved valve.

Figura' 3 is a 'plan view of the element .shown in Figure 12 of the drawin's.

Fgu're 4 is a sectitmal elevation of a modified. porous,A .hood-like, fluid 'fiow obstructing and flow disturbing element,- formed prefera'bly of small particles :of metal, such as metal particles securely fbonded together.

.In the .drawings i represents a valve fca'sing, having a 'cylindrica'l'yalve chfamber 2. .A chamber closure 3 is snugly fitted into the enlarged openingr of the end of the cham'ber .2. :Closure 73 extends sli'ghtly beyond the ou'ter surface of the casing il. Gasket 4 is 'compressed .between the closure 3 and shoulder '5 fin the en'larged opening of the `'chamber 2, to thereby ;seal the Chamber. Fluid inlet passage `6 extends through the olosure 3 and opens at its inner end centrally 'of a 'substantially fiat, circular valve seat .1, raised from the main :body portion of the closure 3.

In 'Figure 1 of the drawings, the face .of the Valve seat f'l is at an 'angle :of degrees to :the axis :of the vpassage l6. The passa'ge B is :co-axial with the 'closure 3 and the Chamber '2. Valve head 8,, the .flat .lower face of which .is complementary to the face of theva'lve seat :'l, is Valso 'of substantally the 'same 'diameter a's the'va'lve .seat -l and is fpostioned immediately ;above .and 'ad- .acen-t theret'o. In the right-handportion of Figure 1 of the drawings, the adjacent, Aflat :faces'of the :seat "l `and head '8 vare arranged .horizontally while :the axis of the -chamber V2 :and the passage .6 V'are arranged Vertically.

The valve seat 1 and the 'valve head 8 are :each provided with .a .fluid fiow obstructing and dis- -turbing hood-like element 9, snugly fitted :over .and thereby detachably secured to and supported on the valve vseat and valve head, respecitively, with which they are associated. Element 9 :includes ra Vsubstantially flat, disk-like 'body 'portion M1, 'and .a flange :portion 'Il whichextendszfrom the body porton 11.0 a-t an angle of .substantiazlly 90 degrees thereto and snug'ly t'anel frictionally engages the zcomplementary, 'cyli-n'drical :side surface of the vassociated sea-t or 'valve head. The .body .portion 'Hl 'of 'the'element :9 :includes alarge. .central port 12, of substantially .the :same diameter .as 'the diameter of -the 'i'nlet passage '6fin the closure 3. The elements .9 are preferably formed .of Vmaterial ;highly resi'stant to corrosion and'ieroslon, fsuch, for example, as stain'lessfsteel.

VThe pneferred arrangement :centemp'la'tes the formation of the elements 9 from :perforated .sheet materials, as -i'llustrated z.'in 'Fligure 2 or -Figure .3 'of the drawfi-ngs. Porous material, 3such as ffine, :sintered metal tparticles 'wherein ;the

; ;individual ,particles have l'heen :bonded :together by heat and pressure, if necessary, may also be used for molding the fluid flow obstructing and flow disturbing elements, as illustrated by the modified type element I3 in Figure 4 of the drawings.

Flanges I I of the elements 9 detachably secure and support the elements 9 in operative position upon the valve seat and valve head with which they are associated, properly centerng the passages I2 with the fluid inlet 6, and in the chamber 2. The valve head 8 is provided with guide vanes I4, which align the valve head 8 with the axis of the chamber 2, and permit the axial, reciprocatory motion of the head 8.

Bearing upon the opposite face of the valve head 8 is a valve plunger or compression rod IS, which extends through a gasketed opening in the valve casing I, and engages a spring IB, compressed by a plunger I'I, secured to a valve adjustment lever I8, which, in turn, is threaded to a valve bonnet 19, operably secured as by screws 28 to the valve casing I.

Casing I is provided with a lateral discharge port 2I, through which the treated liquid is emptied from the chamber 2. The liquid to be treated is supplied to the fluid inlet passage 6 from any suitable, high pressure source, as, for instance, the conventional type of high pressure homogenizing pumps. From the pump, the fiuid may be supplied to the inlet passage 6 through a suitable connection 22,v which may be secured to the casing I by a anged fitting 23, provided with a gasket 24, adapted to be compressed against the outwardly extending portion of the closure 3 upon the tightening of the screws 25.

In the embodiment of applicant's invention, illustrated in Figure l of the drawings, there is illustrated a combination of two of the improved liquid treating type of valves for acting in series upon the fluid being treated. Applicant's arrangement of valve casings, with the closure for the valve chamber extending slightly out of the valve casing and the provision of a countersunk, liquid discharge opening 2|, adapts applicant's improved type of valve to ready assembly into a multiple unit, as illustrated in Figure 1 of the drawings.

The second valve casing in the left-hand portion of Figure l of the drawings is operatively secured to casing I at the right-hand portion of Figure 1 of the drawngs, by any convenient manner, as, for example, by bolts 26. The outwardly extending portion of the valve chamber closure 3 for the left-hand valve assembly is seated into the countersunk opening of the treated liquid discharge opening 2| of the righthand valve assembly and together With the use of suitable sealing gaskets, in the manner illustrated, forms a sealed juncture.

The left-hand portion of Figure 1 of the drawings, in substance, is a duplication of the righthand portion of Figure 1 of the drawings, with the exception that the axis of the Valve chamber of the left-hand portion of Figure 1 of the drawings is at an angle of 90 degrees to the axis of the valve chamber in the right-hand portion of Figure 1 of the drawings. Similarly, additional valves may be added, if desired, to produce still further processing effects upon the fluid being treated.

In the operation of a device constructed according to applicant's invention, the fiuid to be the space between the valve seat 1 and the valve head 8. The direction of flow of the liquid is suddenly changed by approximately degrees at the instant the liquid leaves the inlet passage 6 and enters the space between the valve seat 'I and the valve head 8. It has been found that satisfactory results may be obtained if the valve seat 1 and valve face of Valve head 8 are at an angle within 15 degrees from a perpendicular arrangement of the axis of the inlet passage 6.

Ports I2 in the flow obstructing elements 9 tend to uniformly distribute the liquid between the valve seat and valve head 'I and 8, respectively. The liquid tends to escape from the high pressure zone between the valve seat and valve head by fiowing in between the substantially fiat faces of the valve seat 'I and valve head 8 and the adjacent surfaces of the elements 9, carried by the valve seat and valve head.

Due to the perforated nature of the elements 9, when the perforated element 9 is used, the flow passage of the liquid is tortuous and obst'ructed. The fiow of minute streams of liquid in between the substantially fiat faces is frequently interrupted by impingement against and mixture with the substantially larger quantities of liquid entrapped in the perforations in the adjacent faces of the elements 9. The liquid fiowing rapidly in film-like order over the surfaces of the elements 9 is subjected to the shearing effect of the sharp edges of the perforation in the elements 9 and to the excessive friction produced by contactwith the surfaces of the elements 9 and the adjacent surfaces of the valve seat and valve head.

Substantially the same type of liquid treatment takes place when the liquid under high ;pressure is forced from the liquid inlet passage 6, through the porous element I3, when such porous element is used in place of the perforated elements 9 in the improved valve. The tortuous passages for fiuid in between the surfaces of the element I3 and the adjacent surfaces of the valve seat and valve head, and in between the adjacent s-urfaces of small particles of metal, which have preferably been sintered together to form the element I3, produces, in substance, the same physical effect upon the ingredients of the fiuid being treated.

After the fiuid has passed throughbetween the adjacent surfaces of the valve seat and valve head 'I and 8, respectively, it is discharged from the valve casing I through the opening 2 I.

Applicantis invention provides relatively inexpensive, highly efficient fiuid flow obstructing and disturbing elements, for use in a valve type fluid processing device. The improved elements are so constructed as to reduce to a minimum the task of assembling the elements in the device, as well as to assure the retention of the elements in operative position during the adjustment of the device.

Although the applicant has referred particularly to the preferred type of construction of fluid fiow obstructing and disturbing means 9 as being formed of perforated sheet metal, and has mentioned an alternative construction, wherein the fiuid fiow obstructing and disturbing element may be of porous material, such as sintered particles of metal, obviously other arrangements may also be used. The fluid fiow obstructing and disturbing elements may, for example, if desired, be formed of finely woven Wire, which has been formed into a hood-like Shape-com..

parable to that illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings.

Although the preferred embodiment of the invention has been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification, in that changes in construction and arrangement of the various parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A homogenizing valve comprsing in combination a valve seat, a valve head op'posed thereto, and cooperating therewith, and fiuid flow obstructing and disturbing means interposed between said seat and said head, said means comprising two perforated members, one of which is removably secured to said valve seat and the other of which is removably secured to said valve head.

2. A homogenizing valve comprising in combination a valve seat, a valve head opposed thereto, and cooperating therewith, and fluid fiow obstmicting and disturbing means, said valve seat being provided with a central bore for supplying liquid to be treated, and said fiuid flow obstructing and disturbing means being provided with a central port substantially aligned With and of substantially the same cross sectional size as said central bore, said valve seat being at an angle of substantially degrees to the axis of said central bore.

CHARLES R. HUS'I'O'N.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,694,838 Bayha Dec. 11, 1928 1,925,786 Brooks Sept. 5, 1933 1,948,503 Bijur Feb. 27, 1934 1,983,227 Hall et al Dec. 4, 1934 2,304,689 Hanson Dec. 8, 1942 2,515,394 Clarkson July 18, 1950. 

